Need advice about how to deal wtih a friend who has been diagnosed as having paranoia.

[Denninmi]

6. Yup.

They minimize the fear you feel. To me, the fear of ending up in the Cass Corridor with the hookers and meth addicts seemed very possible given the totality of my circumstances. One thing I found ironic - at the hospital, they talked about all of the support they could offer - social workers, groups, etc. yet no one ever asked me if I wanted or needed it. In hindsight, a big plus, had I gone down that road I would have been buying into the whole mental illness has the better of me thing. They kept telling me my fears were irrational, but really didn't even offer to help me make them go away.

The fear was, and some still is, real to me. I guess maybe fear of a remotely possible hypothetical isn't the same, quite, as fear of an impossibility. But the fear is real to the afflicted person.